What builds are actually better off not starting from the Scion?

as a summoner, the scion is about twice as easy to level and has better all around access to critical nodes.

the scion also doesn't have a freakish character model with an over sized head on a tiny body.

but once you get to end game the only major difference between witch and scion is what trash nodes you need to take to traverse from one int highway to the other.



the only thing i can see as a witches strong point is that she doesn't need to take the 4 nodes the scion would take leading to shaper

where as the scion can only skip 2 nodes leading to lord of dead.

so yeah in the end the witch is better summoner than the scion by about 2 nodes .

but Christ her starting options are pure ASS

"

iamstryker wrote:

I haven't read through this thread but I will just say that I am not sure how a summoner could be any better from a scion versus a witch. Unless your putting some kind of a different twist on it instead of just being a full summoner.

Preparing for the next league, I've been comparing scion vs witch starting areas for my next summoner.

I always seem to come out a few points behind on the scion due to the location of the Lord of the Dead node cluster. Any Scion build has to take the witches starting area. Witch need not progress further than Shaper.

Invalesco, I hope you are happy with Patch 1.1 nerfs to the Scion's wheel of Life. It's almost a copy-paste of your suggestions.

I, for one, had to scrap my level 86 Scion yesterday (and start over as a witch) because she is now completely inefficient. However, I'm totally fine with it as long as there are still many viable Scion builds out there (read : more efficient as a Scion than with another class). But somehow, I'm doubtful. I could be wrong but I have this strong feeling that the Scion starting area nods (as well as the wheel of life) were both overnerfed.

I started a dual-wielding Scion after Patch 1.1, taking the three 2% block nodes and the three 18% elemental resist nodes on the south side of the Scion start. Aside from this route, none of the rest of the Scion start nodes offer a worthwhile alternative to starting elsewhere. I plan on taking this Scion down into the Duelist area, which is fine, but I could probably have started with a Duelist just as well.